Amalgamator.



I P. J. HOYT.

AMALGAMA'TOR.

. APPLICATION FILED AUGQ'I, 190 s. Pdtnted Mar. 14 1911.

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F. J. HOYT.

' AMALGAMATOR. APQPLIOATION FILED AUG. 7, 1909. Patented Mar- 14, 1911' i 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2. Q N m N 9 3 u 2 D 1 A T 1 I Q! 1" (x Q v N i I a a 15 1 S Invader, fiederzlelffflofi,

flifome f z F. J. HOYT.

AMALGAMATOR.

' APPLIOATION FILED AUGHI, 1909. 1

987,071. Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

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P. J. HOYT.

AMALGAMATOB. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 7, 1909.

Patented Mar. 14,1911.

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1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. HOYT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of ltedlands, in the county of San Bernardino, in the State of California, have invented a new and useful Amalgamator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification, reference being had to the annexed drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon.

My said invention which relates to improvements in amalgamators, in which quick-silver is used, is especially adapted for saving fine floured, or what is sometimes known as float gold, by amalgamation with, or by quick-silver.

I attain the object of my invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the amalgamator constituting my invention there is a hopper at the top thereof into which the powdered ore to be treated by amalgamation is fed by a sluice with water. On leaving the lower part of the hopper the powdered ore and water falls upon a divider by which it is directed downward on to copper plates coated with quick-silver, and having a space between them, from which space the powdered ore and water falls on to a copper cylinder revolving in a trough of quick-silver. Some of the quick-silver adheres to the revolving copper cylinder and amalgamates with it the floured or float gold contained in the powdered ore and water flowing downward through the machine. This process of separating the floured or float gold from the liquid flowing through the machine may be repeated two or more times by using two or more copper cylinders rotating in a trough containing quick-silver.

At the bottom of the amalgamator constituting my invention, there is a sluice by which the pulp (powdered ore and water) from which the floured or float gold has been.

separated, is led away by a tail-race which is, or may be provided with one or more traps to prevent any quick-silver or amalgam being washed away from the machine constituting my new or improved amalgamator.

The amalgamator constituting my invention is operated respectively by means. of belts on the driving shaft of the upper or first copper cylinder, or instead of using driving belts and pulleys, a Pelton wheel, or equivalent water-wheel may be placed on Specification of Letters Patent.

App1ication filed August 7, 1909.

Patented Mar. 14, rear.

Serial No. 512,620.

the said shaft and driven by a jet of water as is well understood in connection with the operation of the Pelton or analogous waterwheels.

Upon the annexed drawings; Figure 1, is an end elevation of the amalgamator constituting my invention, and showing it as operated by a Pelton wheel, to which a jet of water is applied for driving the same from a tank carried upon a tower, the pipe leading from the tank to the jet for driving the wheel, and the tower itself, being shown in part broken away, and so as to indicate that the tower and tank are of greater height than the water wheel, than shown, so as to provide the necessary head of water for operating the amalgamator,which it is to be understood does not require any considerable amount of power for driving it. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my amalgamator showing at the left hand end a Pelton wheel as applied for driving it, and at the opposite end as provided with fast and loose pulleys for being driven by a belt, it being explained that the Pelton water wheel, or its like, and the fast and loose pulleys constitute alter native methods for driving my new and improved amalgamator. Fig. 3, is an end elevation corresponding to Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow X, near the top of Fig. 2, and showing the driving belt for operating the machine. Fig. 4, is a plan of my amalgamator. Fig. 5, is a vertical section of my amalgamator on the line a, a, Fig. 2, and on the line b, I), Fig. 4. Fig. 6, is a longitudinal section of my amalgamator on the line 0, c, Fig. 8, and on the line d, (Z, Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale, of one of the quick-silver troughs in which the surface of the copper cylinders rotates. Fig. 8, is a detail hereinafter fully described.

In the several Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the rectangular framing in which the parts of the amalgamator constituting my invention is carried, is marked 1. The four corner columns of this framing are preferably constructed of angle irons for the sake of lightness and stiffness, and these are connected together at the top by the cross bars 2, and 3, and at the bottom by the angle irons 4, the whole preferably resting upon wooden beams 5. It is to be understood, however, that the framing of my a1nalga mator need not necessarily be constructed of angle iron or steel, but that it may also be made of casting, or of wood, so as toconstitute a frame to hold the operativeparts of the amalgamator within it.

In the top of the amalgamator there is out of the longitudinal opening 7, in the bottomof the hopper 6, on to the diverter 8, which as shown by the drawings is formed of two plain fiatsurfaces inclined from an apex so that these surfaces spread outward at an angle from each other, and-divert the water containing the powdered ore on to metallic plates 9, down over which the water containing the pulverized ore flows against thetwo inclined plates 10, fixed to the inner part of the framing as shown in the dra w= ings,'and thence alongthe opposltelyunclined quicksilvered plates of copper 11,1nto

., the longitudinal opening 12, above the ro- J tating cylinder 13. V The plates 9, are carried upon bars 14', shown in the larger view Fig. 8, so that they may be tilted into the position shown in dotted lines 15, at Fig.8,

it in which tilted position any of the amalgam f which may have collected in or upon the plates 11, may be cleaned off from the plates 11, onto the cylinder 13, and thence carried into the trough 16, below the amalgamating 1, cylinder 13. This trough contains quicksilver 17, as shown at Figs. 5, and 6, but 1 more especially in the enlarged view Fig. 7, wherein the lower part. of the cylinder 13, is continuously immersed, as the cylinder 13,

- rotates.

' The rotation of the cylinder 13, assuming 'it to rotate'in the direction of the arrow X, 40 Fig. 5, and being covered with sheet copper, the copper carries a layer of quick-silver over its entire surface, and this layer of quick-silver is that which separates or amalgamates the 'flouredor float gold from the water and powdered ore which continuously descends over the quick-silvered copper sur- .face of the cylinder 13, as it rotates, so that 1 the amalgamated quick-silver and gold become collected in the quick-silver trough 16, and the pulp, together with any floured or fioat'gold which has not been separated i by the action of the quick-silver on the cop'- per cylinder 13, falls or trickles from off the quick-silver surface of the cylinder 13, on to or upon the quick-silvered copper plates 18,

upon which a further portion of the floured or float gold, if any is contained in the pulp, "is caught and amalgamated, while with the View of preventingany final loss of floured or float gold, a second rotating copper cylinder 19, is provided in the lower part of the amalgamator, upon the surface of which I the pulp descending from the plates 18,

against the inclined plates 20, is discharged on to the inclined 'quick-silvered copper quick-silver surfaces of the lower rotating cylinder 19. This cylinder 19, rotating in the quick-silver trough 30, after the manner hereinbefore described with reference to the rotating cylinder 13, revolving in the quicksilver trough 16.

The plates 18, are mounted upon bars 23, in the same manner that the plates 9, are mounted upon the bars 14, as hereinbefore described, so that the plates 18, may be tipped upon the bars 23, with the object of cleaning off any amalgam which may have become deposited on the plates 18, which is then washed by the action of the liquid on the plates 21 and thence to the lower amalgamating cylinder 19. The lower amalgamating cylinder 19 preferably revolves at a slower rate than the upper revolving cylinder 13, and the pulp and water after leaving the lower revolving cylinder 19, passes therefrom by the inclined plates 24, mounted on bars 25, from which it is discharged against the plates 24*, on to the oppositely inclined plates 26, into the sluice 27 which is provided with adjusting doors or traps forthe purpose of catching any quick-silver or amalgam which may escape thereinto from the amalgamator.

The plates 9, the plates 11, the plates 18, the plates 21, the plates 24, and the plates 26, are provided at each end with an upright lip 28, which prevents any overflow of the commingled water and powdered ore from the ends of the several plates, and insures the continuous discharge of the water containing the powdered ore down through the several operative parts of the amalgamator in the manner hereinbefore described.

With the object of preventing any accumulation of quick-silver upon the copper surface of the rotating cylinder 19, a wiper preferably formed of a bar of rubber or other material 29, is provided, and the rotating action of the cylinder 19, causes any superfluous quick-silver or amalgam upon the copper surface of the rotating cylinder 19, to be scraped off and deposited in the lower quick-silver trough 30.

"As shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 6, of the drawings, the Pelton wheel contained in the casing 31, receives water from the nozzle of the pipe 32, Fig. 1, which terminates just within the casing and strikes against the several buckets of the water wheel, thereby rotating the same as is well understood, while the discharge of the water used for driving the water wheel from the casing 31, takes place downward through the pipe 33, into the sluice 27 as shown at Figs. 1, 2, and 6. However, the 'ainalgamator constituting my invention may be driven by a belt 34, as shown atFigs. 3, and 4, op-

erating upon the. driving pulley 35, of the fast and loose pulleys 35, and 36, carried upon the shaft 37, upon which the amalgamating cylinder 13, is carried. The rotating action of the driving pulley 35, is imparted to the lower rotating amalgamating cylinder 19, by means of the spur wheel 38, gearing into the intermediate spur wheel 39, and thereby imparting motion to the spur wheel 40, upon the shaft 41, 0f the lower amalgamating cylinder 19.

The number of teeth in the spur wheel 40, is greater than the number of teeth in the spur wheel 38, for the reason that it is necessary with the object of carrying out my invention as perfectly as possible, that the lower amalgamating cylinder 19, should re- I volve much more slowly than the upper revolving cylinder 13. While I do not limit myself to any particular ratio of rates of rotation of the amalgamating cylinders 13, and 19, respectively, I find in practice that the upper rotating cylinder 13, gives excellent results if it has a surface movement five times greater than the surface movement of the lower cylinder 19. The

ends of the amalgamating cylinders 13, and

19, have a slight flange 42, projecting from them, which dips into the quick-silver as the cylinders revolve, and prevents the commingled Water and powdered ore from flowing off the ends of the said cylinders. The said cylinders are constructed with the two end pieces having these flanges 42, and two or more intermediate circular frames 43, fastened upon the rotating shafts 37, and 41, respectively. The cylindrical copper surface of the cylinders 13, and 19, consists of plate copper of one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness, or thereabout, which is fastened to the end disks 42, and to the intermediate circular frames 43.

With the view of maintaining the surface of the quick-silver in the troughs 17 and 30, respectively, from becoming oxidized by the atmosphere, a pipe 44, Fig. 7, is provided at one end of the trough for the purpose of admitting a flow of water over the surface of the quick-silver therein, said water escaping by another pipe at the opposite end of the trough discharging into the sluice 27. This flow of water also continuously carries off any sand or dirt which may have become accumulated upon the surface of thequick-silver, and keeps the surface of the quick-silver clean.

I claim as my invention.

1. An amalgamator, comprising a revoluble amalgamating cylinder, a mercury trough below said cylinder within which it revolves, means at the upper side of the cylinder to receive and distribute the pulp to the cylinder, and a lateral amalgamating plat-e on each side of the cylinder adapted to be swung and adjusted at any angle for operative or cleaning purposes.

2. An amalgamator, comprising a frame having therein a receiving hopper, a diverter below the discharge spout of the hopper, a pair of laterally-disposed amalgamating plates to receive the discharge from the diverter, and adapted to swing at any operative angle, an inclined amalgamating plate below each adjustable amalgamating plate, and an amalgamating cylinder below the inclined amalgamating plates, a mercury trough within which said cylinder revolves, and means for discharging ,the pulp laterally from the amalgamating cylinder.

3. An amalgamator, comprising a frame, having therein a receiving hopper, a diverter below the discharge spout of the hopper, a pair of laterally-disposed amalgamating plates below the diverter to receive the discharge from the diverter, adapted to swing to any suitable operative angle, an inclined amalgamating plate below each adjustable amalgamating plate, an amalgamating cylinder below the discharge ends of the inclined amalgamating plates, and a 1nercury trough below said cylinder within which the cylinder revolves, and lateral adjustable amalgamating plates adapted to receive the pulp from the cylinder.

4. An amalgamator, comprising a frame having a receiving hopper at its upper end, a diverter below the discharge spout of said hopper, a pair of laterally-disposed amalgamating plates below the diverter to receive the discharge from the diverter, adapted to swing to any suitable operative angle, an inclined amalgamating plate below each adjustable amalgamating plate, an amalgamating cylinder below the discharge ends of the inclined amalgamating plates, a mercury trough below the cylinder in which the latter revolves, and a laterally-disposed amalgamating plate on each side of the amalgamating cylinder adapted to be swung on a horizontal axis to any desired operative angle.

In testimony whereof, I, the said FEEDER IGK J. HOYT, have hereunto set my hand and seal at the city of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles,in the State of California,

in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK J. HOYT. [L.S.]

Witnesses:

ST. JOHN DAY, J. D. CORY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). C. 

